The Record: PATH sausage

THE SAYING goes: Laws are like sausages; it's better not to see them made. David Samson, rightfully or not, may become a sausage king.

A former state attorney general in the McGreevey administration, Samson is a partner in the politically well-connected law firm Wolff & Samson. He also is a close adviser to Governor Christie, who appointed him chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The bi-state authority has been shrouded in secrecy for decades. What once was considered a model for government efficiency is now a place where the political cronies of governors can find lucrative spots, whether they are paid employees or commissioners on the authority's 12-member board. After released subpoenaed documents showed two high-ranking Port Authority officials were involved in the decision to close two local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge last September, scrutiny of the authority has — pardon the pun — ramped up.

Center lane is Samson, who denies any foreknowledge of the lane closures. He has said it was not until Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye ordered the lane closures reversed that he was aware of what had happened. And Samson's initial response was to be outraged at Foye for leaking information to the media.

Now it seems there are other questions that Samson needs to answer. He voted for the $256 million reconstruction of the PATH station in Harrison. So did another New Jersey commissioner, David Steiner, a McGreevey appointee. Samson's law firm was representing a builder who wanted to convert a Harrison warehouse into luxury apartments. Steiner voted for the reconstruction as well, and he had secured the rights to build a 20-story apartment complex, also near the PATH station.

There is no indication that anyone did anything illegal, but there are clear conflicts of interest. Both men should have recused themselves from the vote. The board's committee on operations voted 6-0 in favor of the project; two other commissioners recused themselves for undisclosed reasons. Clearly, the project would have been approved without Samson's or Steiner's votes.

The PATH station should be replaced. It is old, decrepit and not handicapped-accessible. The new Red Bulls soccer stadium is a dynamic new presence in the area around the PATH station. The issue is not whether reconstructing the Harrison station is a good investment for the Port Authority, it is whether commissioners hold themselves to the highest of ethical standards. Samson is a savvy lawyer who understands the nature of politics and perception. This is not a rookie mistake by an inexperienced public servant.

The Harrison vote is another example of how Port Authority officials remain out of touch with the people they have been appointed to serve. We continue to call for a completely new board of commissioners. Neither New Jersey nor New York commissioners are acting as checks and balances against the other group. There appears to be a laissez-faire attitude on both sides: New Jersey takes care of New Jersey. New York takes care of New York. And commissioners take care of each other.

That is unacceptable. There may be nothing illegal about the Harrison PATH station vote and surrounding development deals in Harrison. But there is something unethical about voting for something that will financially benefit either you personally or a client.

Maybe this is politics as usual; this is how a particular sausage is made. Well, the federal government regulates what goes into sausages. The same standards should apply to who goes into the Port Authority.